Dope Ass Conversations #11: NePh
AKA The first two-time Dope Ass Conversationalist
When I visited New York earlier this year, I was gracious enough to be hosted by my good friend and the artist known as NePh. To those who’ve been following this newsletter since the beginning, you may remember NePh as a member of Chicago rap hip-hop collective $UIT in my Dope Ass conversation with them after a concert at the (now closed) Golden Dagger. Since that time, my mans has packed his designer clothing and set up shop in New York City, and during my visit, we were able to catch up and engage in some serious side quest activities: eating good food and smoking good weed.
While staying out there, NePh showed me around the neighborhood and introduced me to Cal.X, the producer he is currently working on a new project with. They invited me to their studio to play me the tape, and I was completely surprised by what I heard. When I first became aware of NePh, his music consisted primarily of laid-back stoner raps over jazzy sample-based production. Yet this project was like a 180, consisting of uptempo electronic jungle beats with NePh playing with his vocals, either speeding it up or slowing it way down. It was an unexpected but appreciated departure from what I’m used to.
Following the visit to the studio, we went up to Brooklyn to grab some Trinidadian doubles, which is basically like a flatbread sandwich with chickpea curry smashed in between. It was incredible, delectable and memorable. While demolishing caribbean food and hotboxing our homie’s car, we started chopping it up and had another dope ass conversation to commemorate our New York adventures, which you can read below, while also listening to his latest EP, 2-4-1 Deal,
Q: We have our first 2-time Dope Ass Conversationalist, NePh. We out here in Brooklyn, New York. Smacking some trinidadian food and smoking hash, but it’s been a minute since I’ve written about you so remind the people who you are.
A: NePh, “Never Ending Piece of happiness,” otherwise known as Nephaniel, Southside Wavy, the list goes on. You know, just out here working, sticking to the code, being myself, but just trynna do things I’m not always used to doing. Evolving, one would say.
Let's talk about why we're out here in New York. You moved out here back in September. So what just made you just want to come out here?
It’s just the vibe out here, bro. It’s the scenery. I’m lying a lil, the scenery is cool but Chicago got a lil better architecture, but overall, it's the vibe. It's the motion out here. Things are so fast, and I feel like, in Chicago, people look at famous people as like a “ah, that's crazy!” In New York, it's kind of like a norm thing. I almost feel like it's a borderline or a bridge between being a regular person and being famous in New York. But shit right now, I'm just a regular person, and I'm just trying to cross that bridge and push it to be a successful artist. I can care less about the fame, respectfully. But, you know, just get paid for my art.
What does a successful artist look like?
I mean, shit. On tour, got a good following, you know, loyal fans, that type shit. Nothing crazy. I definitely just feel like I got the eye and the ear. When it comes to visual things or sounds, I got it. I'm gonna get the shit that's gonna grab your attention. I feel like I just got great taste for that. And I mean, anybody can do that, but it's just like, how you moving with it? Everybody ain't doing it a certain way, even though it's nothing new under the sun. You still gotta put a little spin on it.
You’re dropping a new tape called Aint’s Shit Funny. Why’d you name it that?
It's me and Cal, my homie, Cal.X, he's not here right now, but he did all the production on it. Me and him been cool for years. He's been living out here for years, and my first visit out here, me and him always been talking about making a project. And by the time I got here, we just really started getting more serious about it. And we was kinda like going at it for a name. And I think one day he just posted an Instagram post, and the caption was along the lines of “ain't shit funny.” And I was just like, Damn, that's the name right there. Like, it just sound like a great title in my eyes. You know, just like somebody telling you back in the day, n—s was getting their ass roasted, and now they salty and say back “man, ain’t shit funny.” I thought it was dope. Good concept.
So, you’re living here in New York. Was there people already out here that fucked with your music or did you have to start a brand new fan base?
Yeah, I had friends already. I just knew different artists and random producers out here because of the internet. I visited out here a couple times before I moved, and the first time I really visited visited, I was like damn, I wanna move out there. It was just something about it. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t say I’m in love with the city, but I just feel like it’s slowly teaching me a lesson. If that makes sense.
Yeah, that makes sense. Would you say you have a grasp on what that lesson is, or are you still learning?
Nah, I’m still figuring it out. I mean, besides locking in, that's the number one message right now. They call this the city that never sleeps, and in my head, I think it's because the grind don't stop out here. So it's just like, n—s forever grinding and hustling. And I'm like, that's the heart of this city. The heart of the city is grinding in my eyes. That's why I feel like that's definitely the number one lesson so far.
Would you say that type of culture has influenced this project? You’ve said it’s very experimental. I’ve listened to it, it sounds like some real dance music that motherfuckas would listen to at a rave at 3am. Would you say that just being in that type of environment has shifted the project in that direction, or was that something you were already headed to?
Me and Cal went SXSW last year. Couple months before we went, I kind of pitched the idea of wanting to do a jungle and drum bass project, and that's like his genre for real because he's already into electronic noise-type sound production. And, I mean, don't get me wrong, we've experimented with songs in the past, but nothing like how we came up with this. And I just think I just want to be experimental, I look at it like, “why not?” Once again, showing how diverse I can be as an artist. I just want to show I can write a good song, whether it's a typical rap, low-fi song, or it's just like on a dancing electronic beat. And, you know, it's gonna get the girls to move. So that's how I look at it. That's how I'm looking at it, I'm not mad at that.
What you smoking on these days?
Man, whatever za I can get my hands on that smells fresh.
What’s the weed here like in your opinion? Where are you ranking it basically on your list of regional za?
I would say average, but respectfully. I've had some really good weed out here, and I've had some really bad weed out here. But, you know, that's just gonna happen. It's not like everywhere is California, so besides that, I mean, it's cool. I mean, it's not no Michigan or no shit like that. I think Michigan got New York, Chicago, and a lot of places beat.
What would you say is your fashion philosophy?
Fashion philosophy? I like that way better than these [TikTok and IG] motherfuckas ask on the street. I’ll say about two people did that to me. What everybody say? Be yourself (laughs).
But it’s true. At the end of the day, just be yourself and find your niche. Find what you wanna wear. You ain’t gotta wear what everyone else wears, but wear what you think is cool. That’s just really simple, I’m not about to get into some deep shit because at the end of the day, I’m only human like everybody else. It’s just like it is what it is, nothing crazy. It’s just clothes.
What was the best psychedelic experience you’ve ever had?
Acid fasho. I mean, my first time was on the 4th of July. We took acid and those were the best fireworks in my life. And that was just a moment too. That was just a moment of my youth. I grew up in the south suburbs and we would go to Veterans Park. And we ould just go up there and that was one of the last good times I went up there.
I did shrooms yesterday and I just been thinking, man. I feel like… what's up with our generation and psychedelics—
Drugs in general.
Yeah, man. Do you think that is a symptom of the capitalist hellscape that we live in the United States, in which we seek alternative forms of escapism, or do you see psychedelics as more like an actual form of resistance against said capitalist hellscape?
I don’t even know! (laughs). That was a hell of a question, I was thinking about some other shit. I was gon a hit you with the life imitates art, art imitates life type shit. I don’t even know, bro. It’s like everybody glorified Black culture and shit like that. Who's the number one group of people that got affected by the crack epidemic? The Black people. Black people became junkies so everyone else became junkies. It’s a fucked up take, but I don’t know, it’s the government! But in reality, I don’t know bro. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not gonna be that guy and say I wasn’t playing Grand Theft Auto and all the shit when I was a kid, but I wasn’t thinking about upping no pole and doing all that shit. All I gotta say is, Chief Keef and Wayne, them n—s changed the game. Future too.
Any final words?
Ain’t shit funny coming. We up in Brooklyn. Trinidadian doubles, you can never miss if you in New York, the good spots in Brooklyn. New music coming soon, shout out to the real ones. And… what would you do with a hunnid bands? I’mma end it off right there.